Golden Silence
(a teddy lupin fic)
Teddy is five when he first learns of parents.
He sees Victoire calling Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur "Mum" and "Dad", notices how Uncle Bill, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Percy, Uncle George, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Ginny all call Great-Auntie Molly "Mum" and Great-Uncle Arthur "Dad'.
He wonders why he doesn't have anyone to call "Mum" and "Dad" to. He only has a "Grandmum."
His hair is yellow with curiosity.
Xx
When Teddy turns six, he figures out that almost everyone has parents. "Why don't I have a Mummy and Daddy?" he asks his grandmother, Andromeda, while she gardens. She stiffens slightly, drops her wand. Teddy waits patiently – his grandmother often had the same behaviour – like the time when he changed his hair to bubblegum pink or asked about werewolves. After a while, she answers. "They aren't here anymore." Andromeda then turns and flees, up the stairs and into her bedroom. A few hours later, she comes out and makes dinner, but all throughout the cooking and baking, she appears distracted.
They eat a burnt pot roast that night, but neither notice – Andromeda is absentmindedly toying with her spoon and fork, and Teddy's hair transforms to gray as he hears his grandmother's words repeat themselves again and again, "They aren't here anymore."
It is a silent dinner.
Xx
He goes for a walk after dinner, all the way over to Shell Cottage. Peering through the window, he sees Victoire with her parents, laughing and smiling. His hair turns a sickly green before he can help himself.
The next time Victoire comes to visit, he hides behind the couch.
Xx
Behind the couch, he wonders where his parents really are, and feels great resentment toward Andromeda – his hair flushing a deep, deep red.
Xx
He turns seven, days after Easter.
Curiosity and impulse take great hold of him, and he goes on the Knight Bus to find his godfather, Harry Potter.
Yet he doesn't quite want to see James with his parents, and he takes this in consideration, his hair changing to a different colour at each roll of the wheels.
Stan stares, awed, at the solemn boy.
Xx
He stands at the doorstep, closes his eyes as he rings the doorbell at No. 12, Grimmauld Place.
Kreacher opens the door with a bow, and ushers him upstairs into the nursery, where he watches Aunt Ginny coo over the cradle, with Uncle Harry by his side, hears baby James' first words "Ma! Da!"
Teddy takes off, down the stairs and out the door – Harry looks up sharply, and dashes after him.
Xx
Harry catches Teddy minutes after – the seven-year-old is bawling, running, tripping all over the pavement. Passerbies stare curiously at the two of them, Harry firmly holding onto Teddy's arm, while the boy is screaming and kicking, his hair turning purple and red and dark blue.
Xx
The first thing he notices is his mother's bright pink hair.
Although the picture is weathered from many folds and very, very old by the looks of it (was it really only eight years ago?) Tonks's hair remains perfectly in colour, the precise shade of bubblegum pink.
(Light dawns upon him.)
"So that's why Gran doesn't like pink!" he shouts, his hair quickly copying Tonks', and Harry smiles, watching him and tousling the spiky pink hair. Next, onto Remus John Lupin.
Teddy stares into the solemn honey eyes that mirrored his own in the weathered photograph in his hands...
And there is a silence.
(Harry can't help but think how beautiful and golden this one is)
Merry Christmas, kmovie:)
Thank you totallymindless (or Summer) for helping me through xD
Reviews are needed, like seriously :P